Ensuring Validity and Reliability in Empirical Studies on Metaphor in Organizations

Metaphor is now a central construct in management studies. Metaphors inhabit the communication of organizations and leaders, underpin change and resistance to change, sustain the interactions between managers and consultants, and facilitate the conveyance of theoretical inputs in business schools. Nonetheless, despite the pervasive and undeniable presence of metaphors, there are complications as researchers approach them in the empirical data, as clear criteria for metaphor elicitation, identification, and analysis are missing. To address this methodological confusion, this chapter offers a critical overview of the problems arising in the phases of metaphor elicitation, identification, and analysis. Moreover, this chapter provides solutions to enhance the representativeness of the elicited metaphors, the reliability of their identification, and the validity of their analysis. Overall, the chapter offers actionable guidance to management scholars who aim to conduct sound qualitative and empirical research on metaphors.